Ireland's Eye: What's going on in the old sod

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People dressed as Where’s Wally on Merrion Square in Dublin on Sunday helped break the world record for the amount of Where’s Wallys in one place at the same time.

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Doing Time for Bud
The marketing department at Budweiser may want to consider changing its advertising slogan after a Newcastle West man proclaimed he is so devoted to Bud he is willing to do time in jail for it.

Stephen Daly, 24, loves the so-called King of Beers so much he went out and stole it regularly.

Limerick Circuit Court was told the defendant stole slabs of Budweiser (each worth ****21.99) from Garvey’s Centra, Newcastle West on six different occasions during January and February of this year.

On one date alone, January 30, Daly stole two slabs of Budweiser from the store within an hour. “One was at 11:04 a.m. and the other was at 11:50 a.m.,” Superintendent Joe Roe told the local court.

On each occasion the court was told the defendant was identified on closed circuit TV afterwards, but that none of the property was ever recovered.
In March, Daly received prison sentences totaling six months when he appeared before Newcastle West Court on theft charges. During an appeal against the severity of the sentence solicitor Mark Nicholas, said his client was a “pest who has a serious difficulty with drink.”

He said Daly is devoted to Budweiser and that “he loves Bud so much he is prepared to do time for it.”

Nicholas said the offenses were more of a nuisance factor than serious crimes, and he submitted to the court that the sentence was excessive given the nature of the offenses.

Nicholas added that his client wants to stop drinking and deal with his problems, but that he accepts that he “deserves to do time” for what he did.
Judge Carroll Moran said he regarded the shoplifting offenses as serious and he said he could not reduce the sentences which were imposed at Newcastle West Court. “Shops have to be protected from this sort of behavior and it can’t be let go unchecked,” said the judge.

The judge doubled each of the sentences from one month to two months, meaning Daly will have to wait a year before tasting his next Bud.

Limerick Leader

Kenny’s Charity Cycle
TAOISEACH (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny is to cycle 120 miles around the Ring of Kerry before auctioning off the bike he will use on the journey for charity.
The Bike Clinic in Castlebar, in conjunction with Trek Ireland, presented Kenny with a top-of-the-range Trek carbon fiber racing bike worth *****2,000 for his undertaking.

Kenny will tackle the mammoth one-day cycle on July 2, after which the bicycle will be auctioned off for a range of different charities.

“This is not my first time. I participated in it last year for the sense of being outdoors but also for the wide range of charities that it supports.

Political representatives should be taking a role when they can for the people who might not be able to do so. It’s for a very good cause," said Kenny.

“The Bike Clinic here, Micky Kilcourse and his sons, contacted me recently and said they’d like to make a donation of a bike from Trek Ireland for this year’s Ring of Kerry which is on July 2. I’m very happy to accept it on that basis.
“I can’t accept the bicycle personally but we’ll use it in the cycle of the Ring of Kerry and we’ll auction it for the charities involved. There are a whole range of charities, mostly associated with the disadvantaged and caring for the under-privileged, children in particular,” Kenny added.

Running the country has left little time for training, but the nation’s leader was in confident mood ahead of the seven and a half hour cycle.

Michael Kilcourse of the Bike Clinic said that the Kenny family have had a long association with the shop. “The Kenny family have been customers for years," he said.

Western People

Sisterly Labor
WHEN two Clonmany sisters realized they were both expecting babies last September, they had no idea the surprise that was in store for them.  But on Tuesday, June 7 at 7:26 p.m. in Letterkenny General Hospital Sharon McLaughlin gave birth to beautiful baby Jack, and at 8:36 p.m. her sister Eileen Collins had adorable baby Cormac, just one hour and 10 minutes later.

Originally Eileen was due her baby on June 19 while sister Sharon was expected to give birth on the 13th.

However due to miscalculation, Eileen’s date was brought forward to June 8.
But it seems fate was working on the sides of the two Clonmany sisters, who are now living in Malin, as baby Jack was in a rush to meet his cousin and Sharon went into labor six days earlier than expected.

“We’re never thought we’d end up going on the same day. I was nine days over with Dan, my first child, so going early never came into my mind. In fact the Sunday before we went into hospital we were all gathered in Eileen’s house and I said to her, ‘Imagine this time next week there’ll be a wee baby in the corner.’

“I never thought for a second there’d be two! But it’s great, they’re like twins,” said Sharon.

When Eileen went into the hospital last Tuesday morning to give birth to Cormac, who weighed a whopping nine pounds and six ounces, she didn’t expect to see her sister so soon.

“It all happened so quick. I went into labor one day earlier than was predicted. I texted Sharon to let her know I was going in, and the next thing I knew she was in the bed beside me in the labor ward,” laughed Eileen.
The boys even caused a stir in the hospital, with Eileen saying they were like “celebrities” in the labor ward.

“We were all the talk, all the nurses and doctors were coming to see us and saying how they never came across anything like this before. One doctor said he’d seen sister-in-laws give birth on the same day, but never sisters and never so close together. He was genuinely shocked,” said Eileen.

Derry Journal

Rampaging Dad
A FATHER who was convicted of assaulting a woman on her doorstep in the aftermath of an incident on a school bus between their sons was remanded in custody for a week by Sligo District Judge Kevin Kilrane, who described the defendant as " a dangerous character who was capable of inflicting violence."
Before the court was Paul McGuinn, formerly of Hazelwood Road, Calry who denied a charge of assaulting Fiona Cassidy on September 24, 2008 at Clogherevagh. He was represented by Mark Mullaney.

Kilrane said the evidence of Cassidy had been cogent, consistent and compelling while the defendant was "smart alec-y" and tricky.

"He's a complete and utter actor," said the judge.

The case had previously been heard by Judge Denis McLoughlin, who had ordered the defendant to come up with ****500 for Cassidy. After he failed to do so, Kilrane vacated the order and ordered a re-trial.

Cassidy told the court she had returned from work around 3:50 p.m., her son, Kieran having arrived home before her, when a car pulled into the driveway and a man and a boy got out.  Her son said he would come to the door with her and explain.

She opened the door and the defendant asked the boy with him, "Is this the boy?" McGuinn asked Cassidy’s son to tell his mother what he had done and he replied that it was an accident.

McGuinn pointed to the boy's leg but Cassidy said she could not see anything wrong. McGuinn said that his son had been stabbed by Cassidy’s son in the leg.
The defendant was extremely aggressive and abusive and pointed his finger in Cassidy’s face.

He told Cassidy to "shut the f*** up" or he would hit her. She said she stepped back but he punched her in the face.

She closed out the door. From the kitchen window she told McGuinn she was phoning the Gardai (police).

After he left Cassidy found four milk cartons, which had been on a windowsill, on the garden. Two of the cartons were squashed. She said she was left with a huge red mark on her face.

She said dental mirrors had been handed out in school. When her son was getting off the bus he had hit the defendant's son accidentally in the leg with one.
In reply to Mullaney, Cassidy denied that she had said, "not another f ***ing McGuinn" when the defendant gave his name to her, or that she had told him "to p*** off from the doorstep."

There was no blood or scratch on McGuinn’s son's leg. All Cassidy could see was a little pin prick mark.

Sligo Champion

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